New Census Bureau data released this month shows that our nation's foreign-born population is rapidly increasing, increasing by 15.6 percent since 2010. The foreign-born population currently stands at 13.9 percent (46.2 million) of the total U.S. population, compared to 12.9 percent (12.9 percent) of the total U.S. population. % (40 million people) in 2010.
The data was released as part of the 2022 American Community Survey. The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual survey conducted by the Census Bureau that collects a variety of demographic data from across the United States. The ACS was established to update data collected in the decennial census and provide the public with more frequent snapshots of social, economic, housing, and demographic data. This report is US foreign-born population: 2022reports the latest data collected by the Census Bureau on the foreign-born population and compares it to 2010 data to measure demographic change.
The ACS report states that the recent growth in the foreign-born population is actually a continuation of a 50-year trend, both in actual numbers and percentages. In 1970, 9.6 million people (4.7 percent) of the total U.S. population were foreign-born. In 1980, it was 14.1 million (6.2 percent). In 1990, it was 19.8 million or (7.9%). In 2000, it was 31.1 million (11.1%). In 2010, it was 40 million people (12.9 percent) of the total U.S. population; by 2022, it was 46.2 million people (13.9 percent) of the total U.S. population.
Even this dramatic increase in the foreign-born population is likely to be underestimated. Because of the time period required to collect and publish the ACS, this study is essentially a snapshot of the past and does not capture the alarming amount of illegal immigration beyond 2022. Furthermore, as with most demographic surveys, there are undercounts of populations that are reluctant to admit it. Residence status of illegal alien, etc. Still, the ACS is a useful tool for understanding broader trends in immigration.
FAIR's June 2023 estimates of the illegal alien population found that the total foreign-born population in the country exceeded 50 million after adjusting for undercounts. This represents 15 percent of the total population, the highest percentage in American history. This is higher than the proportion of the population that was foreign-born during the “Great Wave” of immigration in the late 19th century.th and early 20'sth For centuries.
US foreign-born population
As in 2010, the states with the highest foreign-born populations in 2022 were California (27%), New Jersey (23%), New York (about 23%), and Florida (21%).
The states with the largest increases in foreign-born populations were Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, and West Virginia, each with more than 40 percent growth in foreign-born populations.
The state with the lowest foreign-born percentage is West Virginia (1.6%).
Foreign-born regional origins
The ACS reports that half of the country's foreign-born people are from Latin America. In fact, in both 2010 and 2022, Latin America was the most common country of origin. However, the composition of immigrants has changed over the past 12 years. By 2022, the number of foreign-born people from South America and other Central American countries has increased by 2.1 million, while the number of Mexican-born foreigners has decreased by about 1 million.
Again, the ACS estimate here is likely to be an underestimate. In addition to the huge number of aliens who have crossed the southern border over the past two years, those who were allowed to remain through temporary protected status designations and extensions, and those who were admitted through the Biden administration's full parole program. Considering, we know that certain people have already been allowed into the country. grown. For example, since President Biden took office, more than 1 million Venezuelans alone have entered and resided in the United States. ACS statistics may not yet reflect this.
Naturalization
The 2022 ACS also notes that more than half of the foreign-born population are naturalized citizens, and naturalization rates have increased overall for all foreign-born groups. Those born in Europe and Asia were most likely to become citizens, with naturalization rates of 67.4 percent and 62.8 percent, respectively. Foreign nationals from Oceania and Latin America had the lowest naturalization rates.
Year
The foreign-born population has aged over the past 12 years, with the median age increasing by more than 5 years since 2010. The median age in all groups, especially Asians and Latin Americans, is higher than it was in 2010. The median age of foreign-born people is now 46.7 years, and the median age of domestic-born people is now 36.9 years.
education
ACS data also show that foreign-born people in the United States are gradually achieving higher levels of education. In 2022, 53% of foreign-born adults will have at least some college education, up from 46% in 2010. Still, the most recent data shows that 47% (almost half) of foreign-born adults had only a high school degree. below. This is significantly lower than the education level of native-born adults, with 66 percent of adults having some college education or more in 2022 and 34 percent having a high school diploma or less.
At the same time, ACS data shows that the number of foreign-born people in certain regions is significantly below average. For example, in 2022, an astonishing 77% of foreign-born adults in Mexico had a high school degree or below. Among foreign-born adults from other parts of Central America, 72% had a high school degree or less. Interestingly, South American-born adults are slightly more educated, with 40 percent having less than a high school diploma and 60 percent having college or more.
labor participation
The ACS notes that foreign-born Americans have a higher labor force participation rate than native-born Americans (66.9 percent vs. 62.9 percent). In fact, the share of foreign-born workers in the U.S. workforce is at an all-time high, with net employment growth over the past several years going almost exclusively to foreign-born workers. Unfortunately, ACS does not provide any information about what kind of jobs these people do or their average income.
conclusion
Although the ACS provides a snapshot of information about U.S. demographics, it still only represents a snapshot of historical data and does not capture the full picture of recent waves of mass immigration, especially illegal immigration. . Data from the next few years will be needed to fully understand the effects of President Biden's open border policies. Unfortunately for policymakers and the American public, this data is not timely for many important issues that require urgent attention. This is why FAIR and other groups in the immigration reform movement are working tirelessly to shine a light on this issue and demand oversight of immigration agencies.